By the Fireplace
by DeliciouslyAddicted
Summary: *An old one shot NaLu. It's a kind of AU but not. You'll see what I mean.* She was so lonely at times, but by the fireplace she wasn't. The little boy made of flames would always be there for her.


**Lucy thought fire was the most interesting thing. Not because of the beauty of the flame, but for the beauty of the person inside. **

**{**_**It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide...**_**}**

I walked over to the fireplace. I smiled as I saw him, flickering with the flames. I waved and he smiled and waved to me. I laughed and reached my little hands into the fire. He waved his hands, trying to tell me not to touch him. I cocked my head and reached out again. He spat at me and it burned my hand. I burst into tears. My mom came rushing over to me, taking my hand and placing under cold water. We bandaged it and I sniffled. I walked back over to the fire and scowled at him. He got down on his knees and begged forgiveness.

"Why did you burn me?" I asked. He made a movement that kinda looked like burning himself while he was reaching out to something. I nodded. I can't touch him.

"Lucy? You've been here for a while now. Don't you need to go home?" asked Cana. She was the bartender. She drank all of the beer though. I snapped my head away from their grand fireplace. I was talking to him. He was the same age as me, or at least he said he was. I don't know for sure.

"Uh, can I stay for a little while longer?" I asked. She shook her head.

"We closed an hour ago, Lucy." She said. I looked gloomily at the fire. He waved goodbye and walked back into the flames. I sighed.

"Okay, Cana. I'll see you tomorrow." I said. She waved and I shuffled through the door. I walked to my house which was only a few minutes away. I unlocked the door and walked into the living room. I grabbed a couple pieces of wood and lit a match. I threw the match in the logs and they caught fire quickly.

"Natsu? You there?" I asked. He appeared from the bottom of the flames. I smiled and ate some of my cookie. He shook his finger at me and gave me a no kind of look.

"What, this? I can't have a cookie?" He shook his head.

"And why not?" I said. I grabbed the whole box of cookies from the cabinet and returned to Natsu. He face palmed himself and he shook his head.

"Why can't I have cookies?" I asked. He put his hands on his stomach and moved them outward.

"Are you calling me fat?" I shouted. He laughed and shook his head. He threw his hand and gestured that he was only playing. I rolled my eyes and laughed. He half smiled. He put his index finger up and walked into the flames so I couldn't see him any more. I knit my eyebrows together in confusion. I scooted closer to the flames and looked for Natsu. he came back with a piece of wood. He handed it to me and I took it quickly and set it down in front of the fire. I stared at it for a while, not understanding what it said. He caught my attention and showed me to scrap the ashes off the top of the wood. I took a knife and scraped the ashes. I gasped and gave him a look. He blushed and gave me a small smile. It was a picture of me, whittled into the piece of bark. I blew him a kiss and he caught it and placed it onto his cheek. I blushed lightly and smiled. He was such a good friend. _Your only friend, at that._ I know that I'm being crazy, talking to a hot head fire boy.

"Natsu?" He looked up. _What? _He seemed to say.

"Why can't you talk?" He shrugged.

"You don't know." _It's not a problem. _He said.

"Oh..." I looked at the ground. He sat down with me, on the edge of the flames. I fiddled with the end of my boots. I sighed.

"I wish you were real." I said. He slapped his hand onto his heart. _Am I not real to you?_ He looked like he was saying. I giggled.

"Of course you're real. I just can't touch you or talk to you. I mean I can talk to you but you can't talk to me back." I said. He stared me straight in the eye. The fire blew out. I frantically put new logs in and lit another match. The fire burst to life. Natsu didn't come.

"Natsu! Natsu! Come back, Natsu!" I shouted out the blank fire.

"I'm here." Someone said. I yelped and looked behind me. I gasped. Natsu was...was human. I slowly rose from my seat in front of the fire and walked over to him cautiously. I touched his chest. He was solid. I placed both of my hands on his face. His big hands covered mine. I blushed deeply.

"Could you...could you do this before?" I asked. He nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah. But now I have a reason." I shook my head, confused.

"What-" He pulled me into a kiss. First, it was sweet and delicate, like a honey suckle. Then he got deeper and deeper.

"Natsu..." I mumbled. He put his forehead against mine.

"Am I imaginary now?" He whispered. I shook my head and smiled.

"Not even close." I said. He smiled and we sat and watched the fire, now bursting with purpose. Natsu smiled and we kissed the night away. Who needs real friends when your imaginary ones can treat you better?`


End file.
